This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
On May 5, 2020, the media fraternity mourned the loss of seasoned journalist Chege Mbitiru, a renowned columnist and foreign news editor who passed away at the age of 77.
Mr. Mbitiru, a long-time Nation columnist, had a storied career that spanned multiple continents and news organizations. Born in Kijabe, he went on to study at Ohio University before working for various news outlets in the United States, including the Sandusky Register in Ohio and the Saginaw News in Michigan.
After returning to Kenya, Mbitiru worked with the Kenya News Agency before joining the Nation Media Group (NMG). His colleagues and peers remember him as a 'great journalist' and a 'true gentleman' who will be greatly missed.
Former Nation foreign editor Henry Owuor described Mbitiru as a 'distinguished correspondent who remained a true Nation friend for all the decades he worked as a journalist.' Veteran journalist Kibe Kamunyu recalled Mbitiru's teaching style, where he would often tell his students, 'If your mother tells you she loves you, go check it out.'
Long-serving editor Mutegi Njau, who worked with Mbitiru at the Sunday Nation, remembered him for his humility and guidance, saying, 'But that doesn’t mean he was a meek editor. If one made a careless or stupid mistake one got a tough tongue-lashing and if necessary, a memo.'
